Verizon’s rumored plan may ensure you always have a new phone in your hands

Verizon may go the way of T-Mobile's JUMP! as soon as next month.

It looks like the days of waiting two years for your next handset upgrade might be over. DroidLife is reporting that Verizon may be introducing its own “buy a new phone if you’re sick of your old one” plan later next month. According to the site’s source, the plan is called VZ Edge, and it will enable customers to upgrade their phones more often than once every two years to help them “stay on the leading edge of technology.”

DroidLife cites a training slide, which offers details on the VZ Edge plan and how it can help customers avoid committing to a contract and upgrade fees by paying off a device over time. The slide isn't extremely specific, but it also mentions that customers who have committed to the recently announced monthly finance plan can upgrade their phone once they've paid off the other about halfway through.

From the looks of it, last week's T-Mobile announcement seems to have sparked a new trend among mobile carriers. The company introduced its new JUMP! Program, which allows customers to upgrade their phones twice every 12 months. DroidLife mentions that, in theory, one could actually upgrade more than that at Verizon if they manage to quickly contribute more than 50 percent to the cost of the phone. Regardless, we wouldn't be surprised if the other major US carriers began following suit with this business model.

Florence Ion / Florence was a former Reviews Editor at Ars, with a focus on Android, gadgets, and essential gear. She received a degree in journalism from San Francisco State University and lives in the Bay Area.